This invention relates to perfume components, mixtures thereof and perfume compositions, to personal products and detergent products containing such perfumes, and to the use of such perfumes and products to deliver a deodorant effect.
In particular, it relates to perfume components, mixtures thereof, and perfume compositions for inhibiting the production of odorous metabolites by topically applying to human skin perfume components capable of inhibiting the production of body malodour, by selectively increasing the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin.
Typically, a deodorising composition will attempt to significantly reduce or prevent body odour by reducing either perspiration or the number of micro-organisms on the surface of the skin. The former is usually referred to as an antiperspirant composition and the latter a deodorant.
Compositions reducing perspiration often comprise a metal salt, such as an aluminium or zirconium salt which blocks the sweat pores.
Deodorants, on the other hand, reduce the number of micro-organisms on the surface of the skin. It is well known that sweat is odourless until it has been degraded by the skin microflora. Typical deodorants include ethanol and Triclosan (2xe2x80x2, 4,4xe2x80x2-trichloro,2-hydroxy diphenyl ether) which are well known antimicrobial agents. However, the deodorising effect obtained with such deodorants wears off rather rapidly as the remaining microflora multiply and recover their numbers.
A criticism of many deodorant actives is that they indiscriminately affect all populations of micro-organism resident on the surface of the skin. This mechanism of controlling body odour may be effective, for a limited period of time, but is thought to be medically undesirable as the skin""s natural microflora are often considered the first barrier against disease.
WO 87/106827 (Robertet SA) describes inhibitors of esterase-producing micro-organisms. It is suggested that deodorant compositions may comprise such inhibitors as deodorising actives.
EP-A-0 750 903 (Cooperatie Cosun UA) describes compositions comprising sugar-fatty acid esters which are said to be specific against lipophilic diphtheroids. This reference discloses that this group of micro-organisms is responsible for body malodour.
It is well known that volatile fatty acids (VFAs) play a major role in malodour perception. GB 1 517 042 (Personal Products Company) describes deodorant compositions comprising particular actives for reducing malodour by sub-lethally inhibiting fatty acid formation in Corynebacterium species.
Whereas these prior proposals are mainly concerned with inhibiting the growth of malodour producing micro-organisms, the present invention is concerned with increasing the growth of malodour-reducing micro-organisms.
Accordingly, the invention provides a cosmetic method for reducing or preventing body malodour by topically applying to human skin a composition comprising an active agent capable of reducing malodour, wherein the agent is a perfume component which is capable of selectively increasing the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin.
The invention also provides the use of a perfume component to inhibit lysozyme.
The invention further provides the use of a perfume composition, comprising at least 30% by weight of one or more perfume components capable of selectively increasing the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin, to reduce body malodour.
The invention further provides the use of a deodorant product, comprising a perfume component, to reduce body malodour by selectively increasing the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin.
The invention further provides a perfume composition comprising at least 30% by weight of one or more of the following perfume components; Acetyl tri butyl Citrate (tributyl 2-(acetyloxy)-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate), Aidehyde C10, Amber AB 358, Amyl Salicylate, Anisyl acetate (4-methoxybenzyl acetate), Cis-3-hexenyl salicylate, Dihydro Eugenol (2-(methyloxy)-4-propyl-1-benzenol), Dupical (4-tricyclo(5.2.1.0 2,6)dec-8-ylidenbutanal), Geraniol pure, Methyi eugenol, Para cresyl methyl ether, Styrallyl acetate, and a deodorant product comprising such a perfume composition.
The invention still further provides a method of producing a perfume composition which comprises (i) evaluating perfume components on the ability to selectively increase the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin, (ii) selecting perfume components on the ability to selectively increase the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin, and (iii) mixing together two or more of said selected perfume components, optionally with other perfume components.
The term xe2x80x9cperfume componentxe2x80x9d is used herein to represent a material which is added to a perfume to contribute to the olfactive properties of the perfume. A perfume component can be acceptably employed to provide odour contributions to the overall hedonic performance of products. Typically, a perfume component will be generally recognised as possessing odours in its own right, will be relatively volatile and often has a molecular weight within the range 100 to 300. Typical materials which are perfume components are described in xe2x80x9cPerfume and Flavour Chemicalsxe2x80x9d, Volumes I and II (Steffan Arctander, 1969). A perfume composition will contain a number of individual perfume components, and optionally a suitable diluent. The concentration of perfume components referred to herein is relative to the total concentration of perfume components present in the composition, ie excludes any diluent.
Naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms are members of the cutaneous microflora which are capable of degrading odoriferous moiecules. By degrading is meant that the odoriferous molecules are transformed, by the deodorising micro-organisms, to molecules which have either no odour, a reduced malodour or a preferred odour. In particular, naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms include members of the Micrococcus and Brevibacterium genera.
By selectively increasing is meant that the perfume component is capable of increasing the population of deodorising micro-organisms, preferably relative to non-deodorising micro-organisms, and more preferably by inhibiting the action of the anti-bacterial enzyme lysozyme.
Lysozyme is a glycosidase enzyme which degrades certain bacterial cell walls and is found on the surface of the skin. Surprisingly, the population of naturally occurring deodorising micro-organisms on the surface of the skin may be increased by inactivating or reducing lysozyme activity. This may be done by contacting lysozyme with perfume components that block the action of this enzyme.
Deodorant products include but are not limited to body deodorants and antiperspirants including roll ons, gel products, stick deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, soaps, shower gels, talcum powder, hand creams, skin conditioners, sunscreens, sun tan lotions, skin and hair conditioners.
It will be recognised that the perfume components, mixtures thereof and perfume compositions may also be usefully employed for deodorant properties in other product areas, notably in laundry and household products such as rinse conditioners, household cleaners and detergent cleaners. These perfume components can be incorporated into textiles themselves during their production using techniques known in the art, to provide deodorant protection
The active perfume components may be mixed with an antiperspirant active or an additional alternative functioning deodorising active, examples of which are common in the art. The active components may also be mixed with other perfume components, which are not active against lysozyme, in order to provide perfume compositions that deliver the desired deodorant effect and/or hedonistic properties.
The active perfume components listed below may be used to increase the deodorant effect of consumer products. In a preferred methos according to the invention, an Odour Reduction Value, measured as described in Example 2, of at least 10%, more preferably at least 30%, and particularly at least 50% is obtained. To deliver high deodorant effects these active components suitably comprise at least 10%, preferably at least 30%, more preferably at least 50%, and particularly at least 60% by weight of the total perfume formulation. A deodorant product preferably comprises at least 0.05% to 4%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% by weight of the active perfume components. Preferred actives include the following perfume components.
Acetyl tri butyl Citrate (tributyl 2-(acetyloxy)-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate)
Aldehyde C10
Amber AB 358
Amyl Salicylate
Anisyl acetate (4-methoxybenzyl acetate)
Cis-3-hexenyl salicylate
Dihydro Eugenol (2-(methyloxy)-4-propyl-1-benzenol)
Dupical (4-tricyclo(5.2.1.0 2,6)dec-8-ylidenbutanal)
Geraniol pure
Methyl eugenol
Para cresyl methyl ether
Styrallyl acetate
A perfume composition for use in the present invention preferably comprises at least 4, more preferably at least 7, and particularly at least 10 of the above perfume components.